Elisabeth Hasselbeck debuts post-baby body in Fitness
Six months after the birth of son Taylor Thomas, The View‘s Elisabeth Hasselbeck debuted her bikini-ready body (the result of much hard work!) on the cover of Fitness’ June issue. Inside the co-host and Survivor alum, who turns 31 this month, discussed photoshoot touchups, coming to terms with her booty, moments of self-doubt, and being an example to 3-year-old daughter Grace Elisabeth.
Click below for interview highlights and exclusive behind-the-scenes photos, courtesy of Fitness.
On whether the media should provide more realistic body ideals:
To expect that anything put out by Hollywood is going to be realistic is a bit naïve at this point. But that’s me, a 31-year-old woman, talking. If you’re a 15-year-old girl, you look at these bodies and think, How am I going to attain this?
I believe we have a responsibility in terms of disclosure about what’s touched up. More and more actresses are saying, ‘Look what they did to my waist on that photo shoot!’ that is powerful because at least it gives women a chance to express their imperfections. We owe it to girls out there to portray a healthy and true image of ourselves.
On working with a trainer for the first time:
Working with Pat was a hate-to-love relationship. I had done the same
workout for years — I was fixated on getting in my six-mile run every
day. When he told me he was changing my routine, I freaked out. I
e-mailed him and said, "If you don’t let me do it my way, I’m going to
go on ‘sneaky runs.’He e-mailed me back, like a drill sergeant on
the first day of boot camp, and knocked down every preconception I had
about fitness. He told me this program was about working from the
inside out, that it was quality of movement, not quantity. He said I
had an exercise-dependency issue and that we were going to change that!
I was resistant at first.I was worried that I’d bulk up. But Pat designed a routine that mixes
cardio, core work, and weight training every other day, in a way that’s
made me really strong. My runs are broken down into fewer miles, with a
long run on Saturday. It used to be that when I’d go for a run, I’d
feel it in every bone in my body. That pain is gone.
On being overscheduled:
I am an overscheduled mom. I would think about that six-mile run
every day with fear. More than looking forward to it, I dreaded not
fitting it in. I used to hate my days off. I’d feel guilty, like I was
lazy for not doing anything. I’m finally learning to enjoy exercise
because of how it makes me feel, not because I’m afraid of how I’ll
feel if I miss it.
On using a nutritionist:
My choices are limited right now. I have celiac disease — which means
I’m allergic to gluten, the protein in barley, wheat, and rye — and
I’m breastfeeding. I stuck to about 2,000 calories a day and e-mailed
my nutritionist, Sydney Foster, a log of what I was eating.Breakfast
was usually an egg-and-four-egg-whites omelet with spinach, a bowl of
grapes or an apple, and a Think Thin or BioGenesis bar. At work, I’d
snack on a small bag of almonds and have another bar, then eat tuna,
salad, and fruit for lunch. For dinner, I love having meat: either
steak or ground turkey that I throw in a pan and cook with veggies,
then serve in a corn tortilla.
On her body icons:
I look at athletes like the Williams sisters, Mia Hamm — women who have pushed themselves to a place where they are so strong. Growing up, my dad was a mentor. He was incredibly physically fit … I thought that’s what everybody did. His commitment to taking care of himself and his body is just ingrained in me.
Now, I look at my husband (professional football player Tim Hasselbeck) and how hard he works out. He never complains. His motivation helps me during the times when I need a push.
On moments of self-doubt:
I used to have them all the time — ‘I feel fat’ or whatever. Depending on whether I got my run in that day — of if I indulged in something I ate — I’d think of myself as perfectly fine or perfectly not. No matter how big or small, women have those thoughts. Body image has nothing to do with scale numbers, it’s how you feel inside.
This is the first time I’ve felt free from that, because I am working out in a way where I feel so strong that there’s no room for those doubts.
On her favorite body part and learning to accept her butt:
Oddly enough, my back. I’d had back spasms for two and a half years. I
thought it was because my back muscles were too big and too tight, but
Pat showed me it was the opposite. He gave me a series of exercises to
do, and I’ve seen a real change; the pain is gone.Also, I came to
grips with my bum. Before, I always tied a shirt around my waist when I
went for a run. It was ridiculous. Here I am trying to wean my daughter
from her blankie, and meanwhile I’m hanging a shirt around me to cover
my rear like my own security blanket. I finally told myself, "I’m not
doing this anymore — I have nothing to hide."I’ve got some curves,
I’ve got a bubble butt, but I don’t mind, because it’s what powers me
forward when I run. And, of course, being a new mom, I’m proud of the
work we did toning up my tummy.
On the psychology aspect of her program:
At first I didn’t want to do that part. I just wanted to look good in a
bathing suit! But I learned so much about the relationship between the
body and the mind. Deborah Yamin, the therapist, had me do
objective-thinking exercises.One of them was to describe myself, from
head to toe, as a child would describe me. The idea is to use neutral
words — like "I have long hair or blond hair –not "My hair looks
really bad today." It makes you realize how many critical things we say
about our appearance that children would never say. It helped me see
what I really wanted from this program, which was to do something so
one day my daughter, Grace, can look at these photos and say, "Wow, my
mommy is strong."
On confidence and being an example to Grace:
Somewhere in my mid-20s, I lost a bit of my body confidence. I stopped vocalizing any negative thoughts about my body when I had Grace. I didn’t want my worries to affect how she thinks about herself. But just because I stopped saying them didn’t mean I stopped thinking them.
I’m not training like a woman who wants to fit into her jeans — I am training like an athlete who wants to get strong.
The June issue of Fitness hits newsstands May 13th.
Photos for use on CBB courtesy Fitness.
